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An Accumulation of Fantastic Opposites: J.J. Grandville, 1844

JF Ptak Science Books Post 1804

I've remarked on this blog several times on the work of the fabulist proto-surrealist (etc.) J.J. Grandville (for example, here), and today I'd like to return again to his soaring Un Autre Monde (published in 1844) for the work he did in satirizing conventions by reversing their orders, presenting common entities in their "opposite"position. (Perhaps "opposite" is a too far reaching word, perhaps "contrary" is more appropriate in these cases--for now, either will do.) And so:

Fish are goaded (by what I thought was supposed to be a thistle) in their hunting pursuit, which was formerly known as "fishing" but in this case could be know as "humaning".

To be eaten no more forever. A revolt of edible plants takes place in Un Autre Monde, determined to rise and overcome their lethal oppressors, determined not to be killed and eaten as food again. If there was a credible great creator of all things, it would seem that the most effective replacement system for expended energy would be something like photosynthesis and not the killing of other living things to sustain other forms of life. But so it goes here on Earth, with half of the biota eating the other half, with half of the being-eaten half being eaten alive. It just doesn't seem to be a wise way to conduct the business of existence.

An unflattering masquerade of animals in human masks, all of which is enjoyed by a gallery of other animals (again from Un Autre Monde):

Historic enemies, the pursued and the pursuer, dance in a game of life wearing the mask of their opposite in their struggle of life (from Les Animaux):

A zoo of intellect--animals inspect specimens in a human zoo, in this case featuring first the great gatherers of human capacity and imagination, the writers (from Les Animaux):

The undersea world of J.J. Grandville, featuring human-made objects in palce of the natural, living elements of sea-life (from Un Autre Monde):